Novello Musical from Auckland

New Zealand Listener, Volume 37, Issue 943, 6 September 1957, Page 6

Novello Musical from Auckland

SPRING fever and Asian ‘flu have been competing on almost equal terms in the Auckland studios of the NZBS. These have ‘been crowded by actors and actresses, the Auckland Radio Orchestra, the Minstrels’ Choir, producers, soloists, technicians and programme officers, all of whom have been engaged on the large-scale production of the Ivor Novello musical play, Glamorous Night. Although there was some sickness in the cast, the production was finished on schedule, Adapted for radio and produced by Bernard Beeby, of Wellington, Glamorous Night will be broadcast by all YA stations at 7.30 p.m. on Saturday, September 14. This is the fourth musical play produced by the NZBS in recent years, Mr Beeby told The Listener. The others were Merrie England, produced in Auckland in 1953, and The Dark-Eyed Sailor and Blossom Time, which were produced in Wellington. Like its forerunners Glamorous Night differs from the original score because there are parts of the stage presentation which are

almost entirely visual. But Mr Beeby pointed out that the radio version does not lose as much impact on this account as one would imagine. In some ways radio offers more opportunities for effective presentation than the confined area of the stage..Changes of scene, for example, may be accomplished without pause, sound effects are often more realistic, and movement, in so far as it is represented by sounds, is almost unlimited. In producing Glamorous Night Mr Beeby did not need to call upon his cast for a complete performance, or even a "dress" rehearsal, and the production of the play was spread over a week. The actots and actresses recorded their passages of dialogue in the day~ time, and the orchestra, choir and soloists performed in the evening. The whole play was further subdivided into six sections to make the organisation of the large cast easier, Perhaps the trickiest part of the production rested with Mr Beeby’s assistants, Roy Melford and Earle Rowell, who edited the tape recordings and pieced them together.